BERLIN - Two Iranian men charged with smuggling dozens of German-made engines capable of powering drones into Iran by declaring them as jet ski engines went on trial at a Frankfurt court on Monday.

The men, identified only as Iman JL, who also holds German nationality, and Davood A., are accused of violating Germany's Foreign Trade Act by disguising the true nature of the goods, in an apparent effort to get around trade sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear work.

Iman JL is accused of obtaining 61 engines between 2008 and 2009 delivering them to Iran through his own import-export company. To get through customs, he allegedly declared them as jet ski engines.